October 19, 2010

"... I suppose I’m responsible for supplying the raw material for Conway’s disgusting ad. But the reason I wrote about Paul’s college days was not because I thought they revealed anything interesting or significant about his religious faith, or even his attitudes toward illegal drugs. Rather, I wrote about them because I believe they point to traits that are crucial to understanding Rand Paul: namely, his anti-authority streak and his lack of respect for institutions."

Belonging to the NoZe didn’t mean a Baylor student was irreligious or a bad Christian. It simply meant the student didn’t subscribe to—or, at the very least, was questioning toward—all of the very conservative dictates of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Zengerle's point, which Conway might have exploited, is that Paul isn't an old-fashioned, tradition-respecting Republican.

So tell us something we don't already know. The Ron and Rand show is stuck in a world view of us and them with us always being right and them always being a mixture of useful idiots and evil master plotters. Theirs is the opposite of the large tent strategy. The Pauls would be the first to declare the Constitution suspended while they round up and eliminate all those not in lockstep with their thoughts...but that is really to kind of a description of them.

But think how much money Obamacare could save on replacing laxatives for liberals. Just substitute a picture of Rand Paul, cause he scares the crap out of them.

He's not an "old-fashioned, tradition-respecting Republican" (whatever that is)? Or do you mean he wasn't then an "old-fashioned, tradition-respecting Republican"? (I'm still not sure I know what that is.)

Good.

Anyway these days he's a Presbyterian and the only way to get more mainstream is to switch join the Episcopalians.

Some things won't change, the Filibuster, personal "Holds"...mayhap what can change is that the Filibuster rules revert to the more traditonal Filibuster, think MR Smith Goes to Washington...nowadays, you jsut declare you're filibustering, that's it. In the good old days you and your cronies had to speak, on the Floor until you couldn't speak no more...it required WORK.

On Holds, make them less secret....make them subject to a filibuster-like vote of cloture, after 90 days, 60 votes, after 180 days just a majority vote.

Senators could still filibuster, still hold appointments or legislation up, BUT it'd be more difficult.

The Senate isn't going to be like the House, Thank Yhwh, and NEITHER party wants it to, but some of the moss might be knocked off the institution to make it flow just a little better, and act a little less like an "Good Old Boyz and Grrrrrlz Club" where the focus is on comity and amity, rather than the constituents demands.

It will be very very interesting to see what happens when the anti-establishment candidate enters the holiest and most rule-bound of Establishments, the US Senate

Nothing will happen. He will be told to get in line and drop whatever new ideas he has. Or, be cut off from the money. All these great freshman coming into Washington to shake up things you will never hear of again.

Nothing will happen. He will be told to get in line and drop whatever new ideas he has. Or, be cut off from the money.

Not necessarily, Garage. That's the way it used to work. I think a lot of the elder statesmen 'round DC think that those old ways and means are still in play, but, frankly, I think those days are changing.

@garage, if there were just one or two of them, you'd be right. But there will be a whole bunch of them -- Rand Paul, Miller, Angle, Buck, Rubio, Raese, Toomey, O'Donnell. Look for Rossi to join them if he beats Murray, as I suspect he will.

Even Manchin, if he wins, and possibly Webb, might cross party lines and join them.

And as a block the leadership will need them way more than they need to get along with the leadership, so we could see some real change, and in a positive direction this time. Or at least we will if they stay focused on fiscal responsibility first and social issues last.

By the way, when you read O'Donnell's name earlier I hope you were already wearing brown pants.

@ Big Mike...If Rand is now a Presbo, then I will ease up on him. But a careful reading of the article reveals how insidious the Paul's ability is to send out a message of freedom while they carefully work to become the tyrant themselves. That is a Crack Emcee level of sophistication that can only be judged by its fruit. And their fruit is rotten to the core. Not that there is anything wrong with a political mind control cult.

Another interesting facet is the takedown Chris Matthews did on Conway last night. Maybe his Catholic background makes him sensitive to religious taunting.

Just seeing the Conway ad in rotation on TV this morning amongst the routine car dealer ads, it is harsh. You don't throw a Bible on the Screen in Kentucky like that, even in the guise of protecting it, without some blowback. I haven't gone back to view online, but seeing it on TV for real, it just seems unsettling, not positive for either guy.

Is "an old fashioned, tradition respecting Republican" a RINO, or a Tea Party conservative? Either, depending on what old fashioned and tradition respecting mean to the one using those terms. An old fashioned, tradition respecting RINO, one who reaches across the aisle and as part of the Washington establishment believes that the bigger the government the better the government is terrified of the old fashioned, tradition respecting Tea Party conservatives who adhere to limited constitutional government and are about to crash into Washington and break up the cozy arrangements that cosset said RINO.

And I am also much impressed by this entry in Paul's bio: "Dr. Paul has provided free eye surgery to children from around the world through his participation in the Children of the Americas Program." His opponent, by contrast, is a career politician who doesn't seem to have much going for him besides looking like a young Dennis Quaid.

@ Big Mike...We are in agreement then that the world needs Dr Paul to continue doing his selfless work for boys and girls; and that sending him back into his Daddy's world of political intrigue will be a terrible waste. A great personal story is certainly all the right stuff for building a political career. I bet the Machurian Candidate had one of those too. And I stand ready to forgive the John Birch Society guys after they are all gone where they belong.

@garage, if there were just one or two of them, you'd be right. But there will be a whole bunch of them -- Rand Paul, Miller, Angle, Buck, Rubio, Raese, Toomey, O'Donnell. Look for Rossi to join them if he beats Murray, as I suspect he will.

Again, I get the impression that Zengerle is writing more about how Lefties expect other Lefties to act.

You wouldn't necessarily use the phrase, "old-fashioned, tradition-respecting", to describe them, but look at how they react when somebody goes off the plantation.

garage mahal said...

It will be very very interesting to see what happens when the anti-establishment candidate enters the holiest and most rule-bound of Establishments, the US Senate

Nothing will happen. He will be told to get in line and drop whatever new ideas he has. Or, be cut off from the money. All these great freshman coming into Washington to shake up things you will never hear of again.

Now that the Chamber of Commerce thing has gone over like the old lead balloon, this is the Lefties' last ploy - nothing will change, the Rs won't dare touch anything.

This assumes things get better, that all the stimuli finally kick in, etc.

If they believe that, they're not only drinking the Kool-Aid, they're smoking it. Things look to stay pretty much the same in the New Year (if we're lucky) or get worse (double dip, anyone?) and we have the wonderful example of the Euros on our newscasts every night to give us pause.

Given we have people doing this already (Christie) and getting big props for it, the idea that the old RINO establishment will still be running things may not be the as likely as the Demos hope.

"Zengerle's point, which Conway might have exploited, is that Paul isn't an old-fashioned, tradition-respecting Republican."

Well, if that's what Conway wanted to say, the Baylor stuff wouldn't have helped. How many undergraduates are "old-fashioned" and "tradition respecting"? And how many are the same person at 50 that they were at 20? Conway must have been suffering from the delusions that, according to Obama, arise when folks get too scared for their own good. It seems clear that, unlike voters who are more angry that scared, Conway has reason to fear for his political life.

Zengerle wants to have a larger "point" than his data permit, and Conway has no data for the smears he wants to launch. That Conway might have had a different point, about, e.g., RP's views on entitlement spending, is irrelevant.

The Baylor stuff suggests that RP had a bit of the 'rebel with a sort-of cause' going on in his undergrad days, mixed in with a lot of the usual party-time focus at that time of life. He even looks a little like James Dean. (And Conway reminds me of that other Dem trial-lawyer, John Edwards, and even has some of Edwards' special coiffed-and-blow-dried creepiness.)

The NoZe was the organization, The Rope was the satirical publication - a take on the official Baylor paper, The Lariat. I attended from 86 to 90 and loved The Rope! Baylor was known on campus as Jerusalem on the Brazos - very Baptist and took itself very seriously. It's a great, small school, and has since loosened up a little.